Just when you thought the progress of labor disputes in a tough economy were set in stone, something comes along to shake it all up. In Detroit, that dynamic variable was the impact of social media on altering the course of even the best laid plans, such as the decision of a violin soloist to cancel a recital that would run head on into a musician picket line. Since then, there has been some excellent commentary throughout the culture blogging community…
Month: October 2010
Where Are The Website Reviews?!?
Good question and one a number of folks have been writing in to ask. The answer is I’ve scheduled them to coincide with an upcoming business trip so I don’t have to worry about writing anything during a week where I’m on the road. As it turns out, that’s a few weeks later than they usually appear but rest assured, they will be published starting Monday, 10/18/2010…
You Can Always Find A Distraction If You’re Looking For One
Amid the Sarah Chang/Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) drama, it can be easy to forget that it’s a smaller part of a bigger issue; specifically, the ongoing DSO work stoppage. To be certain, any messages sent to Sarah Chang that were threatening and/or intimidating have hopefully been passed along to authorities. Clearly, those are sober issues but they shouldn’t detract attention from the broader concerns…
A Taste of Honolulu’s Grand Plan
Let’s see if you can answer today’s orchestra management question: Q: What do you call an orchestral association that doesn’t employ orchestra musicians? A: A presenter… According to reports in an article by Marisa Yamane in the 10/10/2010 edition of Hawaii’s KHON2.com, the impending Chapter 11 re-organization plan from the current Honolulu Symphony leadership would turn the 110 year old orchestra association into a performing arts presenter. The punch line is …
A Bad Situation Ends Badly In Detroit
The brouhaha sounding violinist Sarah Chang’s recital at Orchestra Hall in Detroit came to an end when the soloist announced that she was cancelling due to private email messages that she characterized as crossing a line into physical threats and career intimidation. The Detroit Free Press reported the news in an article by Mark Stryker in an article published Sunday evening…